Non-automotive orders surpassed automotive robot orders in 2025, says A3. Source: Adobe Stock
After a drop in 2024, North American robot orders rose in 2025, according to the Association for Advancing Automation, or A3. The organization said this rise in orders and revenue reflects strong investment in automation across a growing range of industries.
“The rebound in robot orders over the course of 2025 reflects renewed confidence in automation as a long-term solution to competitive pressures,” said Alex Shikany, executive vice president at A3. “We’re seeing increasing adoption across sectors, especially in general industry applications and at automotive OEMs, as manufacturers look to automation to address workforce shortages, manage reshoring initiatives, and boost productivity.”
In 2025, companies across North America ordered 36,766 robots valued at $2.25 billion. Compared with 2024, this represents a 6.6% increase in units ordered and a 10.1% increase in revenue.
A3 is a leading global advocate for the business benefits of automation. The Ann Arbor, Mich.-based organization’s membership includes more than 1,400 manufacturers, component suppliers, system integrators, end users, academic institutions, research groups, and consulting firms worldwide.
Non-automotive customers drove demand in 2025
Quarterly robot orders in North America. | Source: A3
Robot demand from non-automotive customers outpaced demand from their automotive industry counterparts in 2025. General industries captured the majority share of units ordered throughout the year.
Industries such as food and consumer goods, semiconductors and electronics, and life sciences all contributed to this broad-based momentum, said A3. While automotive component orders remained below 2024 levels, activity from automotive OEMs showed meaningful improvement, it added. This uptick from major vehicle manufacturers may signal stabilization in core automotive markets heading into 2026.
Demand in the fourth quarter also helped to boost the year’s numbers, A3 said. In the fourth quarter of 2025, companies ordered 10,325 robots valued at $579 million. These figures represent a 6.6% increase in units and an 8.7% rise in revenue compared with Q4 2024, using adjusted comparisons from matched reporting companies.
This marks the sixth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth and lifted annual totals to their highest level since 2022, the organization reported.
Collaborative robot orders continue to climb
Force- and power-limited systems, or collaborative robots, continued their upward trajectory, accounting for 28.6% of all robots ordered in Q4 2025 and 14.7% of quarterly revenue. This represented 2,953 units valued at $85 million, the highest quarterly volume recorded since A3 began reporting cobots as a distinct category in Q1 2025.
Across the full year, collaborative robot orders totaled 7,212 units valued at $241 million. This represented 19.6% of total robots ordered in 2025 and 10.7% of total revenue, underscoring the growing importance of collaborative systems as part of modern automation strategies, said A3.
The association said it expects this upward trend to continue in 2026.
“Automotive OEMs came back strong in the second half of the year, which often serves as a leading indicator for growth in supplier and component markets,” said Shikany. “Combined with steady demand across food, electronics, and other non-automotive industries, this points to a positive outlook for 2026.”
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